Few riders can step away from Grand Prix motocross and still decades later be able to mix it with up and coming young talent —but Erik Eggens is proving he’s very much an exception. Now 48 years old, the former GP winner recently lined up at the Dutch Masters in Heerde aboard a 125cc machine, immediately turning heads with his speed, style, and race craft.
We caught up with Eggens as he reflects on his impressive Dutch Masters opener, the evolution of the sport, memorable moments from his career, and how his passion for motocross continues to drive him both on and off the track.
GateDrop: Erik, you raced the 125cc at the first Dutch Masters in Heerde. First of all, you must be happy with the rule change that allows you to race the series? You were a front runner all day until an issue in race two – you must have been happy with that?
Eggens: Heerde was good, and yes, I’m very happy with the rule change and that the age limit is off. I think a 125cc is at least like an adult bike when it comes to frame, height, and things like that. Especially with some guys who really don’t want to move from 125cc to the 250cc just yet, I think it’s good if they get one or two years of extra racing on the 125cc. I saw many older guys competing in regional classes in the 125cc, just because of the age limit of the rule, they couldn’t ride in national championships these days. The first couple of races there were quite many, let’s say 20, maybe 25 year olds, they do compete so that’s good and it’s nice to see.
I was very happy with the result in Heerde. I must admit that those first couple of laps, the speed was quite high, but then the Dutch championship was 20 minutes and one lap, and in the Dutch Masters it’s 25 minutes so let’s say, an extra three laps – they were a bit much, but it was good.
GateDrop: The track looked super rough, how did you find it? Where you sore on Tuesday morning (laughs)?
Eggens: The track was really, really rough, especially the ruts coming into some jumps, but also the bumps were quite extreme, but it was good. I think Heerde is a very, very nice track, and they always create a very nice track on race day. It was rough, but it was good. On Tuesday morning, the day after, I was stiff, but not too bad, so it was quite okay.
GateDrop: For 48 years old, wow, it’s not normal to be that fast. You can still ride a bike, you were on the pegs quite a lot too! Is that something you pride yourself in – your style? I loved watching it!
Eggens: Thank you. To be honest, I’ve never stopped riding for more than maybe three to four months, and the last couple of years I was riding at least maybe once in two weeks, or maybe a bit more often, and then some periods with work I didn’t ride for a couple of weeks. I always kept a feeling on the bike, with the bike, and then the 125cc is kind of my favourite so it’s good. I guess the style is quite… I mean, it’s mine, everyone has their own style, but that’s something even for an old guy like me, it’s something that still somewhere you can see the style of a rider. I think it’s also because of mainly when I grew up, I was always in the sand. I did win a GP on hard pack but sand was kind of my favourite where I grew up so it’s good that you liked it. I would prefer to be a bit more fast but it’s okay.
GateDrop: You clearly still don’t need to still race but you must really enjoy it? What is it you love about racing?
Eggens: I love racing. It’s the adrenaline, but it’s also the dynamic that gets through every race, every lap. When you battle with the guys, it’s always nice, and for my teaching, for my coaching, I get through to the point quite quick. When I’m on the same track, when I still have the feeling, it’s good to use that for my classes as well. It’s really good to try and stay with some riders, at least to ride the same track and experience the same feeling. It gives me kind of a goal to be healthy and to stay fit. Things like that is always a benefit, and not just for racing, but also in daily life.
GateDrop: I was laughing because you were battling with Seth Priem a bit, I am pretty sure you also raced against his dad as well – two generations of Priem’s you’ve now battled with!
Eggens: It was fun to at least see Seth a bit in front of me. I raced with his dad, with Manuel, and I spoke to him at the first race at the beginning of the season. He spoke to one of his friends to line up, because he saw me lining up so it would be good. It’s fun to battle with the different generations and it’s not just Seth. There are quite some guys that I raced with their dad so that’s fun. It gives them maybe some motivation to do the same thing.
GateDrop: Can you take us back to how it all started — what got you into motocross in the first place?
Eggens: I started riding a bike when I was five years old. My Dad used to race, and after that it was kind of a family thing. I started on the PW50 on the Yamaha, and then regional level. From regional level, I went to national level. I think my first European I did I was 15 years old and then it took me a while to get to a good level in the GPs. When I was around 22 years old, then I started doing well in the GPs as well. It was more to have fun in the beginning, because of my Dad and my family. After that, you know, it went better from regional to national.
GateDrop: Correct me if I am wrong but I believe you won your first GP overall in the 125cc class back in 2001 at Valkenswaard. How did it feel to stand on the top step of the podium? At a home GP as well!
Eggens: Valkenswaard was very nice. Really good memories, and of course my first GP win and at home. It was nice, was very good. Already that year, I had some good results in the pre-season races. I won at Hawkstone, the super final on a 125cc. The flow and the speed, everything was there to win it and to do it, you know, in the Netherlands – it was good, very good.
GateDrop: You had a lot of fast team mates throughout your career, which team mates did you learn the most from and why?
Eggens: I think when it comes to a team mate, I think there were different learning processe throughout with all the different teammates. But one thing that’s coming to my mind is the toughness of, for example, Ben Townley. If I remember well, I think he broke his rib or maybe even more than just ribs on a Tuesday or something before a GP. But then on the Sunday at a GP, we were both on the podium. I think it was not just a rib, but maybe also some internal injuries. It was quite tough to get on the podium but he was one hard guy.
GateDrop: The bikes have evolved a lot and maybe some tracks too since your time as a GP rider — what were the biggest challenges back then compared to now?
Eggens: I think the bikes, when it comes to, I think mainly suspension and power, I think they have improved a lot. Also the tracks, I think the last two or three years, they are a bit less natural, but more like manmade kind of tracks with the jumps. How they prepare it, many times it’s quite grippy in the beginning but then also rutty with those big jumps. It’s a bit different compared to when I was racing. You still see like those natural tracks. I watched Riola yesterday, and it looked quite tough. The tracks, bikes, but also rider fitness, I think, has improved. But still the guy who is fastest and has the best physics is winning. When you look at MotoGP or Formula1, it’s the bike or the car a lot of the time. In Motocross, it’s especially the rider who can make the difference. Whereas with MotoGP, it’s very hard to win on a bike that’s not fast or not powerful enough. With Motocross, it’s still the rider who’s the biggest influence in that.
GateDrop: Do you think riders today have it easier or just different?
Eggens: I think it’s different. I don’t think it’s easier with having three gate drops in a weekend, all the fly aways, all the training they do – I think it’s very hard. It’s still very hard physically, mentally. You know, it’s a dangerous sport and a risky sport. It’s definitely not easier but different.
GateDrop: How different was bike setup back then compared to modern machinery?
Eggens: I think bike setup back then was also very important. I think the difference now is all the people around, like all the technicians. It’s probably more, I won’t say professional, but there are more people involved with bike setup, with frame, with suspension, with engine, with electronics. I think, the start is very, very important. Maybe not that important on all tracks but with some tracks it’s just so important to get a good start.
On tracks like Riola yesterday, it makes life a lot more easy if you get the holeshot. I think more people are involved with probably the setup, the difference is probably the electronics, the development in suspension and engine as well.
GateDrop: If you could jump on a current MXGP bike today, what do you think would surprise you the most?
Eggens: I think the thing that would surprise me is probably the power. But my role as a test rider at Yamaha a couple of years ago, I get to ride some of the GP bikes. I still have a bit of understanding what’s needed at least a couple of years ago. When you get to MXGP, I think it’s a matter of having the right bike for the rider – when it comes to riding style and rider needs. It’s probably not just a jump on it and it will suit all the riders, but it’s really about getting the bike to work for a specific rider. Probably some riders, they want to have more power, but maybe some riders, they want smoother power.
I think power would be very interesting to check, but also the suspension, electronics and things like that. I would love to jump on Herlings Honda, for example, but at the same time on Coenen’s KTM, it would be very interesting.
GateDrop: You had a role with Yamaha for many years, did you enjoy that and for the people that don’t know can tell you me a little bit about it? It meant you could stay in the paddock…
Eggens: I started in 2009 as a test rider and until I think 2015 or 16, I was still involved with that role. After that, I started to be more involved with racing so I took care of the rider contracts. I worked for Yamaha to prepare the contracts with the riders, with the teams, development, but also like good contacts with Japan and USA. I could stay in the paddock and it was like a very, very nice time, a great time. We won the MXGP title with Febvre as well as in the WMX, but also in EMX, we had a lot of titles. It was a good time but I decided to step back because it every weekend away from home. At a certain stage, I decided to stop and to be a bit more stable at home.
GateDrop: As well as still racing – I think you’ll do the rest of the Dutch Masters? I believe you also coach some riders, can tell you tell me a bit about that?
Eggens: Probably I’m going to do all the Dutch Masters. The main focus is to coach riders. I can’t imagine a professional racing career at this age (laughs). I mean, the focus is to coach the riders. When it comes to the level, some of the guys, they fight for the Dutch championship. In the Dutch Masters, it’s always quite a good challenge to compete against some of the best in the world so that’s great. We have a gym in the east of the Netherlands and we coach the riders, I think an average of three to four times a week on the track. We also have the Kids MX Tour. It’s like 10 small electric bikes and it’s a blow up track. We visit schools and events, I think last year we had like almost 2,000 kids riding a dirt bike for the first time so it’s good. The kids from five to eleven years of age. It’s really the first touch they get with a dirt bike.
GateDrop: What’s your view on the current MXGP World Championship?
Eggens: It’s nice. In MXGP, the factory guys… Especially the first, I would say five to six guys, they are just so, so good. It’s very, good to watch and it’s a great show, I think it’s very, very positive. I would skip the age rule with the MX2 World Championship because there are some guys… they’re kind of fighting for top 10s or maybe even top 15s. If you give them a 250cc, they probably would challenge to be a world champion. I think that’s the only thing that I would change if I was in charge but I’m not. It’s a good show. Every year I’m trying to visit at least maybe three or four rounds. The level is so, so high. Then with all the traveling, like I explained before and the three gate drops in a weekend and knowing there are points on the line is, it’s tough, but it’s great to watch.
GateDrop: Are there any current riders you particularly enjoy watching?
Eggens: From my time at Yamaha, I have a couple of guys, I still check and still watch and then of course all the Dutchies. I can really enjoy it when they’re at the front. I think, the great thing in the sport is like I told before, the rider is really making the difference. I can enjoy if there is a privateer who is fighting for a podium, that’s really great. On certain tracks, you know, certain days, you can enjoy a rider that’s battling for podium.
GateDrop: How do you think the sport has evolved — for better or worse?
Eggens: I think there are positive and negative things always coming with this question. I think it’s always a matter of balancing on the line, try to maybe create new things, try to maybe visit new countries, try to create a strong championship. Also with the electric bikes, you know, if you ask probably like the older guys or guys over twenty, they will probably answer you with, a dirt bike should make some noise, that you should smell the fuel and things like that. But I think the new generation is maybe pushing a bit less for this and could accept maybe a bit more electric. So I think it comes, it’s always balancing on that line to push, but at the same time, try to create new things. But let’s see. I still believe the sport is the sport and it’s still the base and the fundamental sport that at least I have started with.
GateDrop: Who was the toughest rider(s) you ever raced against?
Eggens: That’s a funny question. I think it’s Luigi Seguy. It’s quite funny. He’s French and he was always into like block passing and things like that. But I don’t know if he still remembers, but there was a GP in Spain and I got so fed up with his riding style that I said, okay, it’s now or never. It’s either both of us or just him. On a wet track, there were two lines and I just crossed the line and hit him so hard. We both stayed up, but he was never dirty again after that – at least not to me (laughs).
GateDrop: If you could go back and do one race again from your career, which race would you choose and why?
Eggens: That’s going to be Lierop back in 2001 because I had a good start and then won. But if I knew the result was going to be the same, I would have enjoyed it even more. But I probably didn’t because I didn’t know the result up front. It was a good race. Very nice and a good crowd. It was my second GP win and again in the Netherlands.
GateDrop: Best track(s) you ever raced on?
Eggens: I can give you one in the Netherlands, It’s Rhenen. The second best track, I think, is in Slovenia, they call it Oreova Vas. I think now, or these days, they still use that track, but I’ve heard it’s not that good anymore or not good at all anymore. But back then, I think it was maybe 1995 or something like that, there was a European championship and after a world championship, maybe in 2006 or something like that and was very nice.
Rhenen is a track in the Netherlands. It has a bit of elevation, not crazy, but just a bit up and down. It’s not a permanent track, but I think the last two years, they have had some problems with the environment, with the green people. I hope maybe this year or next year, there will be some races again, because the track is very, very nice.
GateDrop: What advice would you give to young riders trying to make it to the GP level today?
Eggens: My advice would be, come and train with me (laughs).
